The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill Monday calling for Iran to immediately release three Americans wrongfully imprisoned and for Iran to help in locating a missing fourth American.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell singed out Abedini who has been imprisoned for two and a half years because of his Christian faith.
“One of those Americans, Saeed Abedini, has reportedly been held prisoner for what would appear to be the supposed ‘crime’ of attempting to build and operate an orphanage. Beaten, denied access to medical care, and locked away in solitary confinement — that’s apparently how the Iranian regime deals with those who dare to show love and compassion to others,” he said.
The bill passed 90-0 with ten Senators missing. Several were on the campaign trail but their spokesman said they supported the bill.
“No American should find this acceptable. Just as no American should find it acceptable to unjustly imprison a reporter, or a grandson coming to see his grandmother. I think we can all agree that, at the very least, the American government should not be rewarding Iran for its disgraceful human-rights abuses — that we should not be granting Iran access to the funding it desires to further its nuclear weapons program and terrorist proxies while this exploitation continues,” said McConnell.
“They shouldn’t have sat down at the table before these four people were released, or accounted for,” Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) told The Hill.
Republicans in the New York State Senate are expected to block a bill from the state Assembly that would expand abortion into the third trimester.
The bill, AB6221, was approved by the Assembly on Tuesday 94-49.
“The state shall not deny a woman’s right to obtain an abortion as established by the United States Supreme Court in the decision Roe v. Wade,” the bill reads. “Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, New York protects a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy within 24 weeks from commencement of her pregnancy, or when necessary to protect a woman’s life or health as determined by a licensed physician.”
The bill had been part of a “women’s equality” bill but was separated into a stand-alone bill.
The head of New York State Right to Life told LifeNews that the bill shows the power of the abortion lobby in the state.
“Expanding cruel and brutal third-trimester abortions has long been a goal of the anti-life lobby who never met an abortion they didn’t like,” Lori Kehoe, New York State Right to Life executive director, told LifeNews. “With no regard for the fully developed unborn baby who is violently dismembered, or otherwise killed, the New York State Assembly once again put the abortion lobby above New York State women and their children.”
America saw victories for life all over the country Tuesday night.
Many Senate candidates who spoke up for the lives of unborn children won resounding victories in the 2014 mid-term elections, bringing a more pro-life agenda to Washington, D.C.
“I think what you saw here are candidates who embrace the values, the values voters embrace them,” Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council said after the results were announced. “I think this was a clear referendum on Barack Obama and his liberal policies, and I think that is going to come with a mandate to the Republicans that they address these issues and address them quickly.”
Several political observers say that Kansas Senator Pat Roberts’ strong advocacy in the election for the lives of unborn child was a factor in the surprisingly large win. Pollsters had expected the race to be close, but most voters for Roberts said his stance for life was one of the reasons they voted for him.
The pro-life Susan B. Anthony list was especially pleased by the win of Joni Ernst in Iowa.
“Ernst is the most significant among the Susan B. Anthony list’s efforts, because this is an unapologetic pro-life woman who will be on the floor for the U.S. Senate advocating for pro-life legislation,” SBAL president Marjorie Dannenfelser said. “And that is an enormous victory for women and the Susan B. Anthony List. Everything that we have done for this election is for gaining the Senate and having a woman be a great spokeswoman in the Senate.”
The U.S. Senate has approved $225 million dollars for Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
“We could not go out for a month or five week [on vacation] and not act to help the Israelis replenish their supply of Iron Dome missiles,” Senator John McCain of Arizona said at a press conference.
Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma who objected to the bill because of budget concerns had originally held the bill. However, Coburn relented after speaking with McCain and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham to see the urgent need for Israel.
“[The Israeli people need to know] we will stand with them and that we will provide them with what they need in order to defend themselves,” said McCain.
The House approved the bill 395-8 on Friday. The eight representatives who voted against it were Keith Ellison of Minnesota, Zoe Lofgren of California, Jim Moran of Virginia, Justin Amash of Michigan, Walter Jones of North Carolina, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Mark Sanford of South Carolina and Beto O’Rourke of Texas.
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate by a pair of anti-life Senators to overrule the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Hobby Lobby case has failed.
Washington Senator Patty Murray and Utah Senator Mark Udall introduced what they called the “Protect Women’s Health From Corporate Interference Act” that would have stripped people of faith in the United States from owning and operating their own business unless they provided abortion causing drugs to their employees.
The bill failed in the Senate because the Democrats could not obtain 60 votes to bring debate to cloture and move to a full vote. The bill failed 56-43 along mostly party lines to keep the bill from advancing.
Christian organizations celebrated the fact 43 Senators still believe Americans have the right to religious freedom.
“While the Senate rightfully rejected this unjust bill, today is a reminder of the need to stand vigilant in defense of our God-given freedoms against those who would take them away,” Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer Casey Mattox said.
Leaders in the U.S. Senate have struck a deal to reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling ahead of Thursday’s historic default.
The bill would extend the debt ceiling through February 7th and fund the government through mid-January. The bill also calls for budget negotiations between both houses of Congress on a long-term spending plan and includes a provision to strengthen verification measures for those seeking government subsidies for Obamacare.
Several Republican house members are reportedly not happy with the deal which does not include a defunding of Obamacare.
“If we’re not willing to take a stand now, then when will we take this stand?” Rep. Steve King of Iowa told CNN this morning.
Stock markets worldwide jumped on news of the impending deal.
